The present invention pertains generally to rail structure facilitating the installation of a canopy on the sidewalls of a pickup truck box.
Commonly enclosures or canopies, as they are termed in the trade, are, for the most part, attached to the sidewalls of a pickup truck box in a permanent manner. In those instances where a high load is to be transported it is necessary to remove the canopy from the truck sidewalls, which entails considerable effort and incurs the risk of damage to the canopy or truck sidewall box surfaces as well as any weather seal in place therebetween. Previous efforts are disclosed in the following noted U.S. patents to accomplish canopy installation by the use of cooperating rails on the truck box sidewalls and the canopy. However, prior art fails to disclose a highly practical arrangement for canopy installation and removal by one person and which avoids rail alignment problems encountered by known canopy/truck box rail arrangements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,649 discloses the provision of cooperating sidewall and canopy mounted rails comprising various cross-sectional configurations for canopy retention and requiring careful, precise alignment of the interengageable rail ends during canopy installation. The rails disclosed are of uniform cross-sectional shape throughout their length. U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,548 discloses a set of rails for canopy attachment which include oppositely disposed channels with their interleaved flanges occupying channel defined spaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,380 discloses a canopy attaching rail arrangement wherein the canopy is provided with an inverted C-chaped rail that engages the underside of a cooperating T-shaped rail on the truck sidewall. U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,100 discloses a canopy having roller equipped tracks for rolling engagement with rails affixed to the box sidewalls. U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,158 discloses a pickup truck canopy comprising wheel elements at its four corners to facilitate placement of the canopy on the box sidewalls. The wheel means are removable from the canopy upon installation being completed. Attachment of the wheel means facilitates positioning of the canopy preparatory to placement of the canopy onto the truck box.